Scene of farmer’s murder ‘horrific’

The family of murdered Philippi farmer Arnold Schultz, 68, are battling to come to terms with the “horrific” scene that greeted them on Saturday afternoon when Schultz’s body was found with multiple stab wounds in his backyard.

Schultz’s partner, Hester Koch, 62, was strangled to death and sexually assaulted on the same farm a month ago, allegedly by a couple she had “rescued” from the streets and offered accommodation to in a shack on the property.

Koch had asked the couple, who lived with their two children, to move out a week before she was murdered.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said that when police arrived at Schultz’s Die Erf Farm in Philippi they found him in a shed in his backyard covered with a blood-stained towel. He had several stab wounds.

Koch

Hester Marie Koch was raped and murdered allegedly by people living on the property of the farm she stayed on with her husband Arnold Schultz, who has also been murdered. Pictured are the informal houses on the property. PICTURE: DAVID RITCHIEINLSA

was found last month with a pillow case over her head and a belt around her neck.

Unaware of what was happening to his partner at the time, Schultz, who was an amputee, remained in bed. The farm was also ransacked.

Four suspects, including the couple, were arrested two days after the murder. They appeared in court last week.

“It’s too hard to comprehend, we are still grieving over Koch’s death… we haven’t had time to recover. It’s a horrific thing to happen… it doesn’t seem real,” said Suzette Sithole, Schultz’s daughter.

Koch’s granddaughter, Jade White, 24, of Eerste River, said she was “baffled” as to why Schultz wasn’t placed in a witness protection programme. “He was the only witness to the murder. He should have been under police protection,” she said.

White said that she suspected Koch’s killers were part of a gang. She said Schultz told her that one of the suspects had threatened him during the court hearing last week.

Van Wyk said the circumstances and suspects were still unknown at this stage. There have been no arrests.

Sithole, 39, described Schultz as a “kind heart” who loved joking and laughing.

She said that she had last seen Schultz on Friday when they had lunch with other family members.

She said the family became worried when they were unable to reach Schultz on the phone on Saturday morning.

“When we got there, he wasn’t in the house. We went around the back and found him lying on the ground… we called the police. I can’t describe how we found him… it’s too horrendous,” said Sithole.

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